Student Policy

2023-2024

     The primary purpose of piano lessons is to develop musically sensitive people, who enjoy what they are doing. Excellence, creativity, sharing, and self-esteem are stressed and valued.

SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR:

     My teaching year begins in September and goes through the following June.

     This year, I require all the students to take a minimun of 4 lessons during summer.

     On line lessons will be available.

     You are expected to commit to lessons through June, 2024. If you decide to discontinue lessons, I would                    appreciate a 30-day notice.

     Students will average 4 lessons per month over the teaching year. The number of lessons each month may vary. They will average a total of 35 lessons in the school year.

     We won't have lessons on: Labor Day ( sept 4) Thanksgiving (Nov 22-24), Christmas Vacation

 (Dec 20 th- Jan 2nd)  Spring Break,(April 1-5) and Memorial Day ( May 27th)

     We will have lessons on: Monday Jan. 15th ( Martin Luther King Day) February 19th (Presidents' Day) October 104h (Colombus Day) November 11th ( Veterans Day)

     Students are expected to arrive on time for their lessons in order to receive their full hour of instruction and not to disturb the other student's time.

TUITION AND REGISTRATION:

     The registration fee is $30 per student and must be paid in May, in order to reserve the student's place in class.

This fee is used to cover the cost of all the material I give to each student to file in their binders i.e. special repertoire music, theory papers, technique, composer’s biography and other supplies used in the studio, as well as the time it takes to prepare a personalized lesson plan for each student. 

The monthly fee for piano lessons is $100 dollars and is due on the 10th of each month. The student will receive a 30 minutes private lesson and, as a bonus, I offer an extra 30 minutes piano lab when the student will be able to use all the other resources I have in my studio. I recommend all my students 8 years old and older, to take advantage of this second half hour, but it is optional. 

     Please understand that you are paying for 35 lessons that are broken up into equal payments so you can more easily budget, whether the student gets 2,3,4 or 5 lessons in a particular month.

OTHER FEES:

     You will be advised of fees for adjudication, festivals and recitals in which the student may participate.

MAKE-UP LESSONS:

     Lesson times are reserved for the student. I do not deduct for missed lessons except for an extended illness. If there is a planned absence, please call ahead of time, and I will try to re-schedule, if possible. Cancelled lesson spots in a given week will be made available to other students for make-up lessons. If for some reason I must cancel a lesson, it will be made up.

If your student is sick, please don't bring him/her that day. Let me know if it would be possible to coordinate an on-line lesson.

If I get sick, I don't want to expose your child either. I have in my schedule 1 week in case of sickness, where I will not be teaching, If I don't get sick, the student will receive 35 lessons. If I need to use those days, the student will receive 34 lessons. The fee for the year remains the same whether I need to use the sick days or not. Thank you for your understanding.

SWAP LIST:

     Due to a full schedule, it is very difficult for me to re-schedule lessons. You are invited to participate in this

Swap List for the times that you need to change your lesson time.

     This is a cooperative effort of families working together to assure regular study

     The student and parent need to make the swap by contacting the student and parent in the list with whom they wish to swap. Once the swap has been arranged, the parent requesting the swap is responsible for notifying me 24 hours in advance, in order for me to be ready for that change.

     Please let me know if you want to be in the Swap List and then I will give you all the information.

THE PIANO:

     You must have a piano or a full–sized keyboard (88 keys) touch sensitive. Please understand that a Keyboard will work for students in an elementary level. Once the student reach an intermediate level, he/she will need an acoustic piano. A piano must be tuned at least once a year. Piano technicians I recommend is Steve Anderson (509-433-4014)

     The piano should be located in a well-lit place that allows practicing to be done with as few distractions as possible.

ATTITUDE AND PRACTICING:

     Students who establish good practice habits from the beginning will progress more rapidly and find piano practice and lessons more enjoyable. The amount of time required for good quality practice will vary depending on the student’s age and playing level. It is important that the practice is done on a consistent daily basis with a clear goal in mind. Specific practice assignments are given each week.

     I have a firm belief that without practice there is very little that I can do to help your student be a pianist. Parents need to be involved in this process by helping students make and maintain a good practice schedule. You can encourage your student by listening to him/her at home and attending recitals.

     Parents can help students be responsible for their assignments by checking their assignments every week and monitoring their practice record.

     For young students, 6 to 8 years old, it is very important to have a lot of support at home. They are not old enough to remember to practice every day. They need somebody at home to help them go through their homework. Don’t expect them to do everything on their own.

FINGERNAILS:

  In order to maintain a proper hand position, short fingernails are an absolute requirement.

RECITALS:

  During the school year the students will have the opportunity to participate in festivals, adjudications and recitals. These recitals and activities are a good opportunity for parents to listen to their students play solos and ensemble music, and for the students to achieve goals during the school year.

HOMEWORK:

     Every week I will assign homework which is very important for the student to accomplish. I recommend to the students to make a schedule of practice. This will help me know how much time the student practices at home.

     Please, encourage your student to do all his/her homework which may include, computer homework, pieces from their method books, technique and special repertoire for solos or ensembles.

     I highly recommend that the student practices immediately after the lesson if possible. Up to 50% of the knowledge acquired during a lesson is lost if practice is postponed until a latter day.

EVALUATION:

I will send a text message with an evaluation of the student's progress every week.

     Students who obtain an "A" average during a trimester, will get a certificate as an excellent student. If they collect three certificates during the school year, they will get a medal at the end of school concert for being an outstanding student.